The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-09-10


 youth which is the one sting and mockery of my life to-day-in that time, I say, loved, and life was no other thing than music. And then when death trod down those palace halls had builded of love, the truth dawned slow upon me that she was but mortal, and fool; and locked myself in from the world and with books which are true and wherein dwells no deceit, I labored on with heart of thanksgiving that l was no deeper bound. And 1 knew no one save two servants, man and wife.
 But one night, walking in my grounds as was my wont, much to my surprise and chagrin, l met man with hands clasaed behind him, seem ingly buried i. deep thought, pacing slowly down the path. As he nearcd me he raised his head, and I should certainly lv-haYe spoken some angry, impatient word, but for the wonder full glory of his face: but before those eyes 1 could have uttered no word of anger or O. greeting. Such eyes had never met my gaze before there is nothing to which I could compare them but stars, or rather detached fragments of suns. There was in them no look of evil or kindness; they were simply like the stars and seemed as high above all human passions. These things did not occur to me then, 1 simply stood dumb before him. He apologiZed, doubtless divining me to be the owner of the place, for his in trusiun, saying that the grounds be- ing so extensive he had taken the lib- erty of walking through them in preference to the dusty highway, and being enchanted with the quiet he had fingered so late-it was now past midnight. And the moon was in her glory. l assured him that he was welcome. and volunteered the some- what bitter information that any one wise enough to seek quiet ill prefer ence to the ape-chatter of the world might consider them his own. He looked at me without replying, with strange expression in those wonder ful eyes till there stole over me a vague feeling of wonder and fear and dread, such feeling as comes over one when gazing long in mirror. Then just as l would have closed my eyes and turned away, as from a mirror, he broke the silence and said: "Then you are also a lover of silence and thought" No language can express the rapture those f.w words brought me 1 had found man who like me was weary of the world and lover of silence; l, the philomath, had found q friend; my heart exulted, but simply said, ''l am."
 Of all the conversation that followed l have but the slightest remembrance l found that in fields of philosophy his knowledge as far exceeded mine as mine that of my ignorant servants, or so it seemed in the radiant rain of his wonderful language, through which, like d many -colored rainbow, gleamed eternally the poetry of his thought 1 would not let him part from me that night, but with triumph and gladness had never felt before, led him back to my gloomy old mansion, and in my vast library, among the books we both loved so well, we held converse till the day began to dawn, when, being weary, I shared my bed with him, there being no other bed room in the house which had been occupied for twenty years. In a few hours we had risen and breakfasted and again repaired to the library, where we spent the greater part of the day It was then I learned the only part of this mans lie that ever knew. His name was Morel. Like me he had early retired from the world, but not like me fool to learn wisdom but being wise, he had retired. And un- like me, he would occasionally leave his hermitage and travel to the far thest ends of the earth: and so he had a knowledge ofcertain things of which l know not. Shortly before I met him his house had been burned, and himself almost suffocated in the flames, and was saved by a faithful old ser want, to whom he gave the residue of his estate, and, mourning like father for the death of his son, tor the loss of his books, he had taken up his jour- ney through the desolate places of the world and-in defiance ot fools cavil and science-through the still more desolate places of the moon. He made no secret of this to me after we had talked together for a few hours; it seemed natural that he should tell me of this great power of his, which he assured me had been told to no other mortal, and it only seemed natural that should not.
 But to avoid prolixity, l will pass all the details of what followed for some weeks, which heightened into months, that had prevailed upon him to spend with me, until that sad, fate iul day when sharp death smote sheer upon him and left me amid the harsh bitterness of the world. alone as be-